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Archive for June, 2015
Rocks removed, but Hawaii access road Thirty Meter Telescope closed
Posted by Pacific Business: Lorin Eleni Gill on June 26th, 2015
Pacific Business: Boulders and rocks placed by protesters to block the restart of construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope were removed Thursday, but the state of Hawaii temporarily closed the Mauna Kea access road and placed construction of the observatory on hold until further notice. "We are currently assessing the situation and our plans to restart,” TMT International Observatory Board Member Michael Bolte told PBN in an email Thursday afternoon. “We are concerned primarily about the safety of our team and...
Posted in Water Conservation 
Comments Off on Rocks removed, but Hawaii access road Thirty Meter Telescope closedProtesters in Hawaii block construction one world’s largest telescopes
Posted by Mashable: Chris Grasinger on June 26th, 2015
Mashable: Hundreds of protesters in Hawaii have blocked the construction of what would become one of the world's largest telescopes. Native Hawaiians say the billion-dollar, 18-story observatory called the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) will harm sacred land on the Big Island's Mauna Kea mountain. The protesters gathered more than 9,000 feet up the mountain to block workers who intended to install fencing near the summit. Construction crews eventually turned around and retreated from the site. Officials said...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Protesters in Hawaii block construction one world’s largest telescopesThese emotional photos cut to the heart the battle for this sacred Hawaiian mountain
Posted by Business Insider: Kelly Dickerson on June 26th, 2015
Business Insider: Hundreds of protestors flocked to Mauna Kea on Wednesday to block construction of the world's largest optical telescope.
It's the second time in the past few months that demonstrations have broken out on the dormant volcano.
Astronomers want to build the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) there because the cloudless air and dark skies offer one of the most pristine windows into the universe on Earth. From such a lofty perch, the observatory could reveal parts of the cosmos we've never glimpsed before....
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on These emotional photos cut to the heart the battle for this sacred Hawaiian mountainRoad to Mauna Kea closed while protesters remain
Posted by KHON: Kristine Uyeno on June 26th, 2015
KHON: Closed until further notice.
That`s what University of Hawaii officials decided to do regarding the road that leads to Mauna Kea`s summit.
KHON2 News learned Thursday only observatory workers were allowed up, with about a hundred protesters remaining on the mountain. That`s a big difference from Wednesday, when many more gathered to protest the Thirty Meter Telescope project.
It was a quieter day on Mauna Kea with less activity, as protesters stopped to enjoy the moment. "Knowing that at...
Constitutional issues arise atop Mauna Kea
Posted by KITV: None Given on June 26th, 2015
KITV: The issue of whether the Thirty Meter Telescope should be built atop Mauna Kea took a backseat for several hours Thursday morning as some protestors and certain members of the media were allowed to bypass a roadblock. The issue arose when a ranger working for the University of Hawaii allowed a select group of people past the barricade to remove large rocks that had been placed on the summit road by TMT protestors the day before. Although at least one reporter was allowed in with the group, KITV4’s...
Tension continues to grow on Mauna Kea in Hawai’i
Posted by Maori TV: None Given on June 26th, 2015
Maori TV: Tension continues to grow on Mauna Kea as protesters who were arrested yesterday post bail and return to the forefront of the fight.
A fight that has been on-going between native Hawaiians and a company that wants to build a 30 meter high telescope on their sacred mountain.
The 700+ protectors gathered near the top of the mountain and blocked the main road leading up to the TMT construction site.
Police allowed the blockade to go on for about half an hour before they moved in. But first,...
UH apologizes for delayed media access to Mauna Kea
Posted by KITV: None Given on June 26th, 2015
KITV: What happened on the mountain top Thursday took some state officials by surprise, but according to the state's top lawyer, the decision about access sits squarely at the University of Hawaii. "The University of Hawaii has had the authority under the Mauna Kea management plan to temporarily close the road leading up to mountain for hazardous conditions or safety concerns," said Douglas Chin. Managing Mauna Kea is a sensitive issue for UH. Protestors point to that as impetus for the blockade. But...
Boulders removed from road to Mauna Kea summit, Visitors Center closed indefinitely
Posted by Hawaii News: None Given on June 26th, 2015
Hawaii News: The boulders and rock structures that were found on the gravel road leading to the summit of Mauna Kea were removed Thursday. A statement from Governor Ige's office says The Office of Mauna Kea Management (OMKM) worked collaboratively with volunteers to ensure the rocks were safely and properly cleared from the roadway. The state continues to assess and monitor the situation to ensure the safety of the people on Mauna Kea. The road has been temporarily closed until further notice. The Mauna Kea...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Boulders removed from road to Mauna Kea summit, Visitors Center closed indefinitelyThe Fight Over Mauna Kea
Posted by New York Times: Lawrence Downes on June 26th, 2015
New York Times: A political storm has enveloped the summit of Mauna Kea, Hawaii’s tallest mountain. Given the intensity of the forces colliding there, it is hard to see when and how the clouds will lift. The tempest is over construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope, a $1.4 billion project by an international astronomy consortium. It will be the most powerful telescope yet built on the best stargazing spot on the planet, and surely an immense boon to science. But some Native Hawaiians and their supporters say...
Arrested protesters post bail, return Hawaii mountain
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on June 26th, 2015
Associated Press: Protesters arrested while preventing construction of a giant telescope posted bail and were returning to the Hawaii mountain they say they're protecting from desecration. Hundreds of protesters who flocked to the Big Island's Mauna Kea on Wednesday successfully prevented workers from reaching the site for the planned $1.4 billion Thirty Meter Telescope. The workers turned their vehicles around when they encountered boulders in the road leading to the site. The governor's office said the road would...